MSJC sees more than 15,000 students on first day of Spring semester

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More than 15,000 students were enrolled for classes on the first day of the Spring 2012 semester at Mt. San Jacinto College, filling nearly all of the seats in courses needed to transfer or obtain a degree.

Anthony Watson said it was his second semester at MSJC and he knew he was vying against scores of other students for seats in key classes. He said he had to get in the game early.

His mantra for getting classes? “Get in. Get it done. Get out,” he said.

January 23 marked the first day of MSJC’s Spring 2012 semester. Watson was one of 15,383 students who enrolled. Ninety-three percent of seats were full district wide on the first day. Of that number, nearly all of the courses students need to get into a four-year university or graduate with an associate’s degree were full. At the Temecula Education Complex, seats were 96 percent full; 93 percent of the seats were full on the Menifee Valley campus; the San Jacinto Campus was 91 percent full; 90 percent of the seats were taken on the San Gorgonio Pass Campus.

Britney Willis said she secured seats in English, reading and computers, but was in line early to make sure her financial aid was in order.

“I want to become a surgeon,” she said. “I know the economy is getting bad, so I just want to get my education in while I can.”

The lagging economy has resulted in a high demand for college courses across the state. While state funding for education has dropped, MSJC continues to serve more than 1,000 students above the amount for which it receives state funding.